Woman admits to giving false info to police

Updated 3:15 am, Saturday, March 21, 2015

A 29-year-old woman appeared in court Tuesday afternoon to admit her role in giving false information to police in what led to a case of a meth lab.

Nichole Autumn Bunn, who is listed as homeless in court records, entered a guilty plea to a count of obstruction of justice. Midland County Circuit Court Judge Stephen P. Carras accepted the plea.

Midland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Geoffrey K. Rettig said in exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors have offered a one year sentence delay with dismissal to follow if Bunn successfully completes all terms of probation. Bunn also is required to testify truthfully against two men charged with maintaining a meth lab — William Joseph Sherwood, 33, and Corey Richard Parker, 33, both of Midland.

Bunn’s attorney, Lisa Blanton, added no new charges are to be filed.

Bunn was arrested on Feb. 7 after Midland Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for an expired plate. During the stop, which Bunn said she knew was for expired tags, she attempted to cover up for Sherwood, who had exited the vehicle and walked away from the area.

“I gave a false name,” so police wouldn’t know he was in the car, she said in court.

“Do you know why the police were looking for Mr. Sherwood?” Carras asked.

“Yeah, because he was absconding parole,” Bunn replied.

An affidavit for a search warrant, filed in the court case, states Bunn eventually admitted to police that it was Sherwood who had exited her van. A police dog tracked Sherwood to Parker’s apartment, and Parker allowed police to search the apartment. Sherwood was not found, however, what was believed to be a one-pot methamphetamine lab was located inside a bathroom wall.

Parker was arrested, and Sherwood was jailed soon after. Each of their cases are set for pretrial conferences in circuit court later this month.